In Week 17, the Eagles travel to what could be a snowy, windy, and cold afternoon in Buffalo to play the 11-4 Bills in a game that offers all kinds of great intrigue and fascinating matchups. In terms of what it means for the Eagles from a macro standpoint, Philadelphia has locked up the NFC East and has only limited chances to move from its current No. 3 seed in the conference postseason picture.

But in the week-to-week, micro sense, it means so much. The Eagles, winners of two straight games, want to keep things rolling in the win column. The offense has played its best football in the last couple of weeks – the positives have been building for several games, in fact – and the defense is terrific with a chance in this game to match up against the dynamic Josh Allen, a multiple-threat quarterback who shoulders the offensive load for the Bills and clearly does it successfully. So, with that ... some storylines.

1. From the players who saw Buffalo earlier this season

Jaelan Phillips and Michael Carter played against Buffalo earlier in 2025 when they were with Miami and the New York Jets, respectively. Their thoughts ...

From Phillips, whose Dolphins lost to Buffalo 31-20 on September 18: "They're just a dynamic team, they have weapons all around. I think Josh Allen is arguably the best quarterback in the league and he does some pretty amazing things with the ball, so just a challenge to be able to stop all the facets of their offense. But yeah, it'll be a fun challenge for sure.

"It was a close game. It always is a close game when I've played against them. They always kind of find a way to win, but that's something that you just have to know coming into it, you've got to stop their momentum, you've got to take care of business, and keep your foot on the gas when you have the opportunity because if you don't, they will find a way to come back. So you've definitely got to stay diligent when it comes to that.

"Those are the Bills man, they find a way to get it done. Still a really high-powered offense, no matter how they try to kind of configure things. They're committed to running the ball. And the quarterback is still the quarterback, he can make plays and extend and make every throw, but I think he's definitely more careful with the ball, but still trusts his arm to make every throw. They're a really good team. And I'll say they really are committed to running the ball and want to be that team for sure."

We will hear from Carter in just a moment ...

2. How to defend Josh Allen?

Vic Fangio coached in Miami and he has experience against Allen, but a lot of coaches have played against Allen multiple times and it doesn't seem to help a whole lot, does it? He has a 103 passer rating with 25 touchdown passes and he also has 552 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. The guy is a beast. You can't give him gaps to run because he will gallop for 25 yards. He breaks tackles. He makes something out of nothing. And while the receiving corps isn't littered with marquee names, Allen directs the passing attack through tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. What is Fangio's plan? This is going to be a great chess match.

3. Oh, and James Cook is a monster as well

Buffalo leads the NFL with 159 rushing yards per game and running back James Cook is the main weapon. He has run for a league-best 1,532 yards and has an NFL-best 12 games with 100-plus yards on the ground. The Eagles expect defensive tackle Jalen Carter to suit up and play and that's going to help a run defense that is just so much better than it was early in the season. Cook is the complete package – he can run between the tackles and he is explosive into the second and third levels. Great tackling is a must here. The Eagles can't let him get, uh, cooking. James Cook is a threat on every play, along with Allen.

4. No Nakobe Dean, so Jihaad Campbell steps up

Rookie Jihaad Campbell has been a contributor since Day 1 and he is going to be a main factor with Nakobe Dean out with a hamstring injury. Would it make sense for the Bills to test Campbell and run at him and try to get physical with him? Sure does. Dean's blitzing and play against the run have boosted the defense, so Campbell is hoping to replace that production and that solid assignment-sound play.

5. Is the weather a factor?

Storms are moving up the East Coast and Buffalo is in the picture. The forecast for kickoff isn't bad – at least on paper: Temperatures around 40 degrees with precipitation. But how much of that will hold for Sunday? Michael Carter has been there. He's seen the weather. He knows what happens in Buffalo.

"So later in the year, it's pretty cold. It's pretty cold. It's around the water and the wind, you got to deal with those elements. But it's definitely something that I feel like they feel like it's an advantage for them, just being up there and they get used to it. It's what they experience all the time. And so just being able to navigate those conditions is something that I've kind of noticed just going up there and playing in the snow and the rain. Heavy winds and everything like that. The ball's still going in the air and the ball's still gonna be run on the ground. So you just gotta make it happen no matter what, the weather's the weather. It's all about the players at the end of the day.

"I feel like my insight is valuable. But everybody does their due diligence, especially the coaches. As many times as I've played them, they've probably played them even more as far as being on the coaching side of things and the amount of film they've watched and all those things. But I do have that familiarity that I can add value and kind of insight when needed, being in that division for so long. So I feel like, I wouldn't say leaning on me, but my insight is valuable."

6. The Eagles have something going on the ground

Good number here: The Eagles are averaging 4.96 yards per rushing attempt in the last four games. Saquon Barkley looks great. Tank Bigsby is a terrific second back. The offensive line has been excellent. And the Eagles are 8-0 when they run the ball at least 30 times this season. Buffalo has been hurt with injuries along the defensive line and it has been a challenging area for the team in 2025: Buffalo has allowed 143.6 yards per game on the ground over the course of the last 10 games. Let's see how it plays out here.